Senate Committee Advances FY 2026 Education Budget Bill That Flat-Funds Pell Grant and Student Aid Programs
Maria Carrasco
August 1, 2025
With Congress’ deadline to fund the federal government for fiscal year (FY) 2026 drawing near, the Senate Appropriations Committee kicked off the process of funding the Department of Education (ED) for the upcoming cycle by unveiling and advancing a spending bill that would flat-fund key student aid programs by a vote of 26-3.
During Thursday’s full committee markup, members of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies outlined key provisions of its spending bill, pledging funding for key student aid programs, such as the Pell Grant, the federal TRIO, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) programs.
The bill text with specific program funding levels was made available after the committee’s session, so during Thursday’s full Senate Appropriations Committee markup Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), who respectively serve as chair and ranking member of the subcommittee, outlined broad aspects of the legislation.
